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Highlights Challenges in developing practical all-solid-state lithium–sulfur batteries (ASSLSBs) and recently devised concepts to address those critical challenges have been discussed. Recent developments in comprehending solid-state electrolytes, cathodes, and highperformance anodes, including key challenges associated with ion transport, electrochemical properties, and processing methods, have been discussed. Prospects of ASSLSBs for commercial use and guiding forthcoming research and development efforts in this area have been presented.

The electric vehicle (EV) revolution is sweeping the world, and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is no exception. Despite the environmental and sustainability narratives surrounding EVs, it is now undeniable that the transition to electric mobility is inevitable. Over the last couple of years, the region has made considerable advancements in transitioning towards electric transportation, with the government and private sector collaborating to make EVs more accessible to the public. Despite the progress made, the region still has the lowest transition rate globally. Moreover, the available information is limited to identifying critical challenges that require attention to ensure a reasonable decarbonization of passenger vehicle transport in the region. This review focuses on the current advancements, challenges, and opportunities of EV development in SSA and puts forward ways to hasten its transition in the region. The transition towards EVs in SSA still faces significant challenges that need to be addressed. Particularly, the absence of clear policies and regulations that outline EV targets for individual countries, the high purchase price of EVs, poor electricity networks, and the scarcity of public e-charging stations are the primary impediments that obstruct the EV transition in SSA. To expedite the transition, it is highly recommended to formulate new regional and national strategies rather than adopting developed nations' EV transition model blueprint.

Molybdenum sulfide–oxide (MoS2, MS) emerges as the prime electrocatalyst candidate demonstrating hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity comparable to platinum (Pt). This study presents a facile electrochemical approach for fabricating a hybrid copper (Cu)/MoS2 (CMS) nanostructure thin-film electrocatalyst directly onto nickel foam (NF) without a binder or template. The synthesized CMS nanostructures were characterized utilizing energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrochemical methods. The XRD result revealed that the Cu metal coating on MS results in the creation of an extremely crystalline CMS nanostructure with a well-defined interface. The hybrid nanostructures demonstrated higher hydrogen production, attributed to the synergistic interplay of morphology and electron distribution at the interface. The nanostructures displayed a significantly low overpotential of −149 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 117 mV dec−1, indicating enhanced catalytic activity compared to pristine MoS2.This research underscores the significant enhancement of the HER performance and conductivity achieved by CMS, showcasing its potential applications in renewable energy.

Water splitting driven by renewable energy sources is considered a sustainable way of hydrogen production, an ideal fuel to overcome the energy issue and its environmental challenges. The rational design of electrocatalysts serves as a critical point to achieve efficient water splitting. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with two-dimensionally (2D) layered structures hold great potential in electrocatalysis owing to their ease of preparation, structural flexibility, and tenability. However, their application in catalysis is limited due to their low activity attributed to structural stacking with irrational electronic structures, and their sluggish mass transfers. To overcome this challenge, attempts have been made toward adjusting the morphological and electronic structure using appropriate design strategies. This review highlights the current progress made on design strategies of transition metal-based LDHs (TM-LDHs) and their application as novel catalysts for oxygen evolution reactions (OERs) in alkaline conditions. We describe various strategies employed to regulate the electronic structure and composition of TM-LDHs and we discuss their influence on OER performance. Finally, significant challenges and potential research directions are put forward to promote the possible future development of these novel TM-LDHs catalysts.